1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to apparatus and method for performing operations downhole using a laser.
2. Background of the Art
In the oil and gas industry much attention has been given to apparatus and methods to remove undesired materials downhole, including both materials inherent in a formation and also both natural and man-made materials which have been introduced into a formation for purposes of extracting the natural resources, such as oil and gas, from the subsurface formations. Examples include drilling of the initial wellbores; perforation of the formation to initiate or increase productive flow therefrom; modification of wells such as casing removal for drilling laterals, remediation of casings, elimination of equipment occlusion, and the like; and elimination of debris, scale, and other impediments to the productive flow of fluids in the wellbores.
It is known in the art to use lasers for certain type of downhole cutting operations. However, it is generally held that much use of laser cutting in downhole environments remains difficult because of the presence of fluids and other materials in the wellbore, such as drilling fluid (also referred to as the “mud”), production fluids and other materials that may have been added into the wellbore to facilitate drilling and or to extract fluids from the formation. Such fluids and materials are generally opaque, near-opaque or very dark and are not conducive to laser operations. Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for performing laser operations downhole.